Doctor receives international patents for therapeutic process to remove excess galectin-3

Sep 4 2014

Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc has been awarded a USA patent as well as additional international patents for a therapeutic process that allows for the removal of excess galectin-3 from the circulatory system using plasmapheresis.

The Galectin-3 Plasmapheresis Therapy patent is the first-ever granted for this type of therapy. Dr. Eliaz is a pioneer in developing solutions for excess galectin-3, a protein which is linked to serious health issues like cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, kidney disease, liver disease, arthritis and more. His work also includes the development of modified citrus pectin, the most-researched galectin-3 blocker today.

"This treatment, which accomplishes a dramatic removal of galectin-3 from the body's circulation, can improve the effectiveness of existing therapies," said Dr. Eliaz. "Because high circulating levels of galectin-3 may inhibit multiple treatments from getting to their target tissues, removal of these 'decoy' molecules allows therapies to get to the target site of an injury or tumor, providing a therapeutic advantage."

Galectin-3 Plasmapheresis Therapy helps with a wide range of inflammatory health conditions related to elevated levels of galectin-3. Dr. Eliaz's ongoing research has revolved around the concept of using plasmapheresis to remove excess galectin-3 in the blood by using a special column as a filter. Further research on the therapy is now underway, and Dr. Eliaz hopes that it will be widely available as a standard medical treatment within the next several years.

Plasmapheresis works by taking plasma out of the blood and running it through specialized column filters to replace it in the body with healthier, cleaner plasma. "Treatment of a patient by plasmapheresis through a Galectin-3 absorbing column could lower the levels of Galectin-3 in the patient's blood. Since Galectin-3 levels are elevated in the blood of patients with many inflammatory conditions, lowering these levels could ameliorate those conditions," said Dr. Eliaz. In the U.S., plasmapheresis is mostly used for removing cholesterol in the blood in people with genetically high cholesterol, although European medical professionals use it for a greater variety of treatments. The process of plasmapheresis is effective for autoimmune flare-ups, kidney damage and various other medical issues.

"Plasmapheresis is a highly underutilized technology with the potential to positively impact a wide variety of both acute medical situations and chronic disease treatments," said Dr. Eliaz. "Removing galectin-3 and additional inflammatory and comorbid factors during plasmapheresis could change the outcome and offer a safe, new treatment option for these difficult-to-treat conditions."